As mentioned in my last post, I’m enjoying listening to talks by Gil Fronsdal on the Eightfold Path.
I would really like to explore this area further, and in more depth, and I had an idea this afternoon – I will devote one week to each step of the path. To try to learn as much as I can, and incorporate it as much as possible into my life.
So this week is Right Speech.
I’d love to hear – have you read any books that you recommend on Skilful speech? Or any articles or blog posts? Or even any tricks that you use to remember to speak wisely?
Right speech is an area I am so passionate about, and interested in.
We can do both great harm and benefit with our speech. And it’s so interesting to be mindful of what we are saying, and how we are saying it.
I think for me the greatest challenge will be no idle speech. Not so much gossip (which I don’t participate in), but more chatter with no particular purpose.
So that will be a particular goal for me this week 🙂
Blessings to you all,
Meg
istopforsuffering 
Start by using your ears and your mouth in proportion, I.e listen twice as much as you speak. Raise your levels of empathy but practicing the art of listening with the intent to understand, then thinking things through thoroughly before speaking out.
Good for you my friend and good luck.
Namaste
Mark
Thank you Mark! I really appreciate your contribution, and that’s a really valuable suggestion. I think that a thoughtful “pause” can never be undervalued.
Thank you again! Meg
Your welcome 🙂
I was thinking the same as Mark. Listen a lot more, reduce the thinking to the essence of the conversation. Don’t listen too much to the ‘mindmachine in your head’.
Thank you Bert! You always have such insightful ideas to contribute – I really appreciate it.
I just finished a week cataloging my experience with the noble eightfold path, and right speech was one of the aspects I had the most difficult time with. I found it was easier to start from the point of paying attention to what I was saying, with particular attention to the words I used and my intent in using them, once I realized the common ground my words shared with anger it gave me a point to start it, everybody will have a different method though. That aside, I don’t believe it’s easy for anybody… by far it isn’t easy. Good luck!
~With Metta
I am so interested to hear more of your experience!!! Thank you so much for your comment – just heading over to your blog :-). Blessings, Meg
Great goals Meg as usual! I am grateful for these ideas. I don’t have any advice on this, but I am curious to see what you do, how it goes and what it means to you in the end.
Thank you so much Jon :-). I appreciate your support so much!!!!
Meg, Have you seen these? We had paper copies of these pages on our kitchen cupboard door for several years and made some wonderful changes in how we talked to each other, both at home and out in the world. With sky background: http://pocketperspectives.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/choosing-how-we-talk/ And with a forest floor background http://reflectionsfromafriend.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/229-showing-more-kindness-and-patience-toward-oneself/
Thank you so much for this Kathy!!! 🙂